SPRING SHORTS

Genre: Festival

Your god called. He/she commands that you attend Phare Play Productions' Spring Shorts. While avoiding the vengeful wrath of your god, take a look at how one's beliefs color a sphere of circumstances ranging from worship to drinking games, from runaways to the Home Shopping Network. You'll find that laugh-out-loud comedy, romance, and thought provoking pieces abound. This collection of one acts will leave you laughing, crying and maybe even provoke your core beliefs. Plus, you won't get struck down by lightning if you attend. Oh, and your god says to bring friends.

Abe hails from, of all places, Salt Lake City, Utah. He has lived in the great borough of Brooklyn for nearly three years and in that time has had the opportunity to meet many wonderful and interesting people. Abe is delighted to be part of such a talented troupe of actors and craftspeople. This is his second production with Phare Play and he feels truly blessed to once again be part of a company that does this crazy art form for all the right reasons. Abe would like to thank his family for being who they are and especially his brother Ben, one of the bravest people he has ever known.

Bill Bria hails from Ann Arbor, MI and got his BA in the Visual and Performing Arts from Fairfield University in Connecticut. Bill also spent a semester studying in London at the British American Drama Academy. His most recent projects include Broadhollow Theater's production of The Woman In Black, Haberdasher Theatre's production of Arnold Schulman's Lost, and a handful of shows with sketch group American Candy. He has written and directed plays in addition to acting, and thanks ArtEffects for letting him play in their sandbox!

Mara Dratfield is very pleased to be returning to Phare Play in Shorts and would like to thank her family and friends, especially Mom, Dad, Noah, Matthew, Erin, David and Linda for your support & encouragement. Mara studied theater at HB and Goucher. Favorite roles include: Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible and Elka in Rosehips.

Chelsea Holland ("Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2,746th President of the United States" â€" Autumn Taylor) is super psyched to be working with Phare Play for a fourth time. She was previously seen in "Drunk Reckonings" (Lindsay) and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" (Simon). She also played with them in their sketch comedy group Mind Bleach. She has also appeared with the New Media Repertory Company in "Just Tell Me What Happened" (Dolores). She is a native New Yorker who studied theater at Binghamton University (where she did a buncha shows). She currently studies with Austin Pendleton at HB Studios. She would like to extend a big thanks to the whole Phare Play bunch. Special thanks to her family and friends for being a constant source of humor.

Deborah Johnstone (Bernarda) hails from Toronto, Canada where she trained classically – then ventured into improv, touring with Second City. Favorite roles include Googie Gomez in Terrence McNally's "The Ritz", and Velma in Leonard Melfi's "Birdbath". Her one-woman shows have been produced by Dixon Place, PS 122, La Mama,The Vineyard Theatre, and the The Kraine Club, as well as by numerous festivals throughout Canada and the US. This coming winter she can be seen in two indie films, "Man With the Midnight Eyes" and "Perceptions". "The House of Bernarda Alba" will be Deborah's third production with Phare Play and she couldn't be happier! She is represented by DreamWeavers Management.

Tim Kondrat (Sorted – Jay) has recently appeared on "Forensic Files" for True TV and can be seen in the recurring role of "Nicolai" in the internet sitcom Duder at dudershow.com. He is happy to be working with Phare Play again and has also previously performed in New York at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, Theater-Studio Inc, the Michael Weller Theater and the Frederick Loewe Theater.

Gina Labozetta (Sorted – Vanessa) After graduating from Santa Clara University with degrees in Theatre and Communications, Gina furthered her craft at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco before switching coasts. Since then, she has studied at various New York schools, performed at the Michael Chekov Theatre, the American Theatre of Actors, the Abington Theatre, and Upright Citizen Brigade, placed first in an improv competition, landed a spot on the house improv team at the National Comedy Theatre, and worked with such production companies as Laight Street Films, FTP Productions, and Playwrights Horizons.

Nicholas Masson (Mark Young/Man) is excited to be working with Phare Play Productions again – having just appeared onstage in their production of "The Super Big Blow-Out Bash at Dionysus' Pad". Other NY credits: "Hamlet" (Laertes) and two productions with Downtown Art. Regional/ Touring includes: "The Full Monty" (Harold), "Romeo and Juliet" (Mercutio), "Annie Get Your Gun" (Sitting Bull) and "A Christmas Carol" with The Nebraska Theatre Caravan. A native New Yorker, he is an alum of Stagedoor Manor and received a BA in Theatre from the College of Santa Fe.

Rachel McPhee (The Super Big Blow-Out Bash at Dionysus' Pad – Aphrodite) hails from Wisconsin. Graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Drama Studio London Professional Acting Training Program. She is a comedienne internationally known as "McDiva".

Natalie Neckyfarow was last seen with Phare Play in last fall’s WWSS4 in Force the World to Die (Best in Show) and is thrilled to be back. Natalie spent her summer in New Hampshire performing Love’s Labours Lost and Comedy of Errors in repertory with Shakespeare in the Valley. New York credits include: Spare Some Change (45 Bleecker Theatre), King O’Neil, Fairytale Revolution (both TheatreRats), The Witches (Red Door Theatre Co), My Mother’s Brain (Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre), and Taking Toll (Phare Play). She is currently studying at Primary Stages and has been doing core background on the new CBS Drama The Good Wife. Natalie is also a web designer and certified Pilates Instructor. www.natalieneckyfarow.com

Peggy is thrilled to be returning to the role of Deborah after originating earlier the year with Phare Play Productions. New York credits: No Sex Please, We're British; Pants on Fire; Arcadia; Fifi, Effie, and the Donut Lady (author); The Twilight of the Golds; The Cherry Orchard; The Eight: Reindeer Monologues; Snake in Fridge; Dear Brutus; The Cocktail Hour. Independent film: Guy With a Camera (d., James Morgart); Disorder (d., Jack Smith); The Puppet Show Has Been Canceled, (d., Chris Benker); A Trilogy: Family Portraits in America (d., Douglas Buck). She just finished shooting Won Ton Baby!, directed by James Morgart. Already listed on the IMDB, it will be screening, among other places, in London on October 31. Endless love and thanks to her family, friends, and her dear Kitty and Coco Chanel. (You hold me up, guys.) And my sister Cathy, you totally rock in every conceivable way. Her performance is dedicated to her late father, Burl J. Queener.

George Remes (Taking Toll – Sam) comes from Romania to find his luck in New York. He studied undergraduate acting in Bucharest and his favorite parts in school were "Vershinin" and "Julius Caesar". He is currently a Master Candidate at the New School for Drama and he hopes that this Phare Play production is the first step into building a career in New York.

Miguel Rosales (Drunk Reckonings – Jeff) started his acting career in Monterrey, Mexico where he was born and raised; there he co-founded the production company Seis a Cuatro Producciones. Later he decided to move to New York to pursue acting full time. He completed The Michael Howard Studios Conservatory in June and is currently working on the production of the play "Homeless".

Zach Rothman-Hicks has worked with F.A.C.T. as an Actor. Playwright, and Producer, since joining them in September 2009 for their first production of "Connect the Plots." Zach's one-act play, "Death by Fellatio," was performed by F.A.C.T. as a workshop production in October 2009 and as part of "A Six Pack +1"- their spring one-act festival. Zach is also a frequent participant in and sometimes producer of Words and Wine- F.A.C.T.'s monthly reading series which occurs on the last Sunday of every month. Zach has also recently worked with Where Eagles Dare, Love Creek Productions, and Packwallop Productions. Zach is a Special Education Teacher who works at a NYC Public High School. Many thanks to his friends, family, and YOU for coming!

Nicholas Santasier ("Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2,746th President of the United States" â€" Morley Jollipson) has survived everything from a superhero sidekick talk show to a sexual addiction meeting, a church to a hippie apartment, even 1809 England. And he is still here! And shaven. And fight choreographing. That's about it. 'k bye!

Aref Syed ("Not So Calm, But Still Totally Dead" - Stuart, "Big Bang Teary" - Fred) is delighted to be back with Phare Play Productions for the third time and is very excited to be working again with Matt, Chris and Chris (among others). He has performed at several cultural shows and acted in a few independent films. After successfully completing the Summer Intensive Program at the prestigious Stella Adler Studio in NYC, he made his theatrical debut playing the lead role of Aliya/Horse in Deen's "Where Children Play: The Story of Tank and Horse" which world-premiered at the Berkshire Fringe Festival in July 2007. Aref continues to hone his acting chops at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Nora is truly honored that ArtEffects Theatre Company chose to produce a night of her short plays. Previously her short plays have been produced by the Shelterbelt Theatre and Phare Play Productions (they also produced her first full length play, "Call Waiting" last spring). Her writing also provided the opportunity to participate in the inaugural year of The Great Plains Theater Conference with Edward Albee. Thanks to the cast and crew of "Almost Olive Juice" for bringing the words on the page to life! Find out more about Nora's writing, acting and directing at www.noravetter.com.

Shuo Zhang (The Super Big Blow-Out Bash at Dionysus' Pad – Ellen) is back from her adventures and she's glad to return home (the stage, the script, the screen) where she is most happy. She hopes her forays into cancer-curing and empire-building would only result in more "Jew-ish"-ness.